Cash register



C. W. GREEN CASH REGISTER Original Filed Dec.

Aug. 29, 1933.

5.5 become apparent as the description w.

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 CASH REGISTER Charles W. Green, Ilion, N. Y.,assigner, by mesne assignments, to The National Cash Register Company,Dayton, Ohio, a Corporation o! Maryland Original application December19, 1927, Serial 241,046. Divided and this application Y March 15, 1929.Serial No. 347,335

2Claims.

'I'his invention relates to overthrow preventing means for the totalizeractuating segments in cash registers, and the embodiment selected forthe purpose of illustration is particularly adapted 5 for use in cashregisters, although it is susceptible for use in other types ofaccounting machines and analogous devices. i

This application is a division of the application of Charles W. Green,Serial No. 241,046, iiled December 19, 1927, to which applicationreference may be had for a more complete disclosure of the cash registermechanism and other devices not shown herein.

Machines of this character are at times subjected to improper usage byextremely rapid and violent operations. In rapid operations oi an addingmachine or cash register considerable momentum is imparted to thevarious elements and particularly to the actuators of the totalizerwheels as well as to the totalizer wheels theme selves. Accordingly, itis desirable, in order to insure proper accumulation of amounts in thetotalizer Wheels, that a means be provided for preventing theseactuating segments from moving past their proper destinations.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an effective overthrowpreventing device for accounting machines or cash registers that willinsure proper accumulations of amounts therein 30 by preventing thetotalizer actuating segments fromimparting an improper movement to thetotalizers. Another object ci' my invention is to provide an overthrowpreventing means for the totalizer actuatingsegments which may bereadily placed in the machine withounecessitating material alteration ofthe same or interfering with the other mechanisms contained in such amachine.

' A further object is to provide an overthrow 40 preventing means whichis simple in construction, the parts of which may readily be stamped ina machine and assembled into a compact and eilicient device which may bemanufactured at a small cost.

A further object of my invention is to provide an overthrow preventingmeans which is actuated by the key coupler when the latter has beenmoved to one of its limiting positions.

. A more speciiic object of my invention is to provide an overthrowpreventing means which is eil'ective to stop all o! the actuatingsegments when reaching their proper destinations, -regardless of theextent of their movements.

Other and further objects of my invention. will (Cl. 23S-131) Referencewill now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is asectional elevational View, showing my overthrow preventing meansmounted in the machine, together with other associated mechanisms commonin cash register constructions.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view in part showing the yoverthrow preventingdevice and its relation to the totalizer actuating segments.

The improvements are applied to a cash regiso5 ter of the key-operatedtype in which the amount keys are divided into a plurality of banks forregistering the amounts of the several denominations. The machine alsocontemplates the provision of special keys, such as transaction orclerks' keys for example, whereby special transactions or the clerkoperating the machine may be suitably indicated.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, amount keys 19 are providedupon a shaft 20 75 journalled between main side frames 21 of themachine. The mechanism is enclosed by a suitable cabinet 22. The variouskeys carry at their front portions suitable key cups bearing indicia,

designating the nature of the keys, -and the .y

forward ends of the key lever are guided by slots 23 formed in thecabinet 22. At their rear ends the keys are guided by slots 24 formed ina plate 25 secured to cross-bars 26 and 27, attached to the rear of themachine.

The keys are provided with notches 28 adapted to receive the rearwardend of a. key coupler 29 which extends between the side frames 21 andnormally rests upon the rear ends of the keys. The key coupler ispivotally supported by means of a pair of parallel plates 30 attached tothe ends of the key coupler by screws 3l. 'I'he plates are suitablyapertured to receive a shaft 32 which is located in substantially themid-portion of the machine and is carried by the side frames. It will beobvious that when the forward ends o! the operating keys are depressedthe key coupler 29 will be rocked counter-clockwise so that its cearwardend willenter the notches 28 of the d .:essed keys. The purpose of sucha key coupler mechanism is well known in the art and need not bediscussed herein.

It is desirable that some device be provided to insure a completeperformance of the started registration before a second operation cansubsequently be eil'ected. To this end, any suitable mechanism may beprovided, but in the present instance one of the plates 30 is extendedupwardly and to the rear to form a segment 33 provided no with teeth 34adaptd to coact with a pawl 35 to which a spring 36 isy connected. Veryearly in the operation of the machine the engaging end of pawl 35 willcoact with one of the teeth and thereby hold the key coupler and key intheir operative positions, even though pressure on the key may bereleased, and during a subsequent portion of the downstroke of the keythe ratcheting of the pawl over the teeth will prevent any retrogrademovement of the key or key'coupler.

At thetermination of a downstroke of the key the full stroke pawl willbe disengaged from the rack, thus permitting restoration of the keys andkey coupler .but at the same time, after this return movement hascommenced, movement in the opposite direction will be prevented.

As will be noted, the rear ends of the keys are formed with upstandingprojections 37, the forward edges 38 being substantially concentric withthe key coupler supporting shaft 32. When the coupler is being operatedthe rearward end 29 will pass in front of the concentric portion of theunoperated keys, thereby locking them against movement. Since thisconstruction is well known in the art it need not be discussed herein infurther detail.

A suitable indicating mechanism is also provided. This mechanismcomprises a series of indicating tablets 39 arranged in groups of three.The stems of said indicating tablets are offset in such a manner thateach stem will be positioned directly over its corresponding key leverso that upon operation of a key its corresponding indicator will bemoved to raised position. A bar 47 extends across the rear portion ofthe machine and contains a plurality of fingers 50 and 51 which engagethe raised indicators and hold them in operative position. Upon theinitial operation of the machine, the bar 47 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction, thereby permitting the indicators which were raisedduring the previous operation to drop. The said bar 47 is then given amovement in a clockwise direction at the end of the downstroke of thekeys and thengers 51 will then engage the newly raised indicators andthereby hold them in raised position. Since this mechanism forms no partof the invention disclosed herein a detailed description thereof isunnecessary. For a complete description of this mechanism reference maybe had to the parent application.

'I'he present invention includes an overthrow preventing device for thetotalizer actuating racks, which mechanism will now be described. Thismechanism comprises a series of actuating segments 70 adapted to drive acorresponding totalizer wheel 71, it being of course understood that thetotalizer wheels are engageable with the respective actuating segmentsfor actuation in accordance with the keys depressed.

In my application Serial No. 183,392, filed April 13, 1927, I havedisclosed certain forms of means whereby the totalizer wheels may beengaged with the actuators for actuation thereby during depression ofthe keys. The totalizer engaging means, however, forms. no part of mypresent invention and hence will not be described herein. It issuilcient to note that the totalizer wheels are driven by the actuatorsduring the downstroke of the keys, which is a common occurrence m theart.

Each actuating segment is movable with a corresponding differentialframe 701 operated by the associated denominational series of keys 19,said frame having a rearward'cross piece 702 lying in the path ofupstanding extension 191 on the rear portions of said keys whereby saidframe is rocked when any of the associated series of keys is depressed.The rear extensions 191 of the respective keys are spaced differentdistances from the cross piece 702 whereby the differential frame may beactuated different extents commensurate with the` value of the keys.Each key is also provided with a complemental projec- 'j tion 192 on itsforward portion, which projection 85 is adapted to engage a cross bar703 on the differential frame to positively stop the latter when it hasbeen moved the appropriate extent.

While each segment 70 is secured to its corresponding diferential frameand each differential frame is positively held against overthrow by thecomplemental stops 192, I have provided an additional overthrowpreventing means cooperating directly. with the actuating segments andprecluding overthrow thereof when the regg5 ister keys are misoperatedby too rapid and violent depressions. If, in the course of extremelyrapid and forceful operations, the segment should be temporarilystrained beyond its proper position and its associated totalizer wheelmomentarily overthrown an incorrect reading might, under certaincircumstances, result. More specifically, should the proper position ofthe totalizer wheel be at 9 overthrow thereof as a result of improperand violent operation might, though momentarily, result in conditioningthe transfer mechanism for carrying 1 prematurely to the totalizer wheelof the next higher order. To insure that misoperation of the machineshall not result in such an overthrow, I have provided the followingmechanism:

Each actuating segment has secured thereto a serrated plate 72. Securedto the front tie bar 73 of the` machine is a bracket 74 comprising ahorizontal portion 75 and side arms 76 and 77, 115 the rear portions ofsaid side arms being bifurcated to engage the shaft 20 for supportthereby. Pivotally mounted in said bracket is a bail 78 having fingers79 extending rearwardly and adapted to cooperate with the serratedplates 72. A spring 80, interposed between said bail and a stud 81 onbracket 74, normally holds the bail in its forward position, as shown inFig. 1, in which position the forward extension or arm 82 of said bailrests against the horizontal portion 75 of 125 said bracket 74.Extending from the opposite side of said bail is an arm 83 carrying alaterally disposed'pin 84, which lies in the path of a rocking finger85, the latter is an extension of a segmental plate 95 which moves withthe key cou- 130 pler 29.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that as theregister keys are depressed and the segments,70 operated to drive thetotalizer wheels 71 the finger 85 moves downwardly, 135 and atapproximately the end of the depression of said keys said finger willstrike pin 84. The fingers 79 of bail 78 are thereby brought intoengagement with the serrations of extension 72 so that the actuators 70and totalizer wheels 71 in 140 mesh therewith will not be carried beyondtheir proper positions. The plates l72 carry a plurality of serrationsso that the finger 79 will engage said plates regardless of the distancethat they have been actuated. Thus, it is clear that my overthrowpreventing device is just as effective in the case where the actuatingsegments have moved one unit as lt would be had they moved a -distancerequired to actuate the totalizers nine units.

From the foregoing it is apparent that an effective means has beenprovided for preventing overthrow of the differential segments and whichinsures proper operation of the machine under all conditions ofoperation.

While the form of mechanism herein described is admirably adapted tofulll the objects primari- 1y stated, it is to be understood that it isnot intended to conne the invention to the one form of embodiment hereinshown, since it may be embodied in various forms all coming Within thescope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is: 'y

1. In a. machine of the class described, a plurality of actuatingsegments having diierential extents of movement, serrated portionsconnected to and movable with said segments, and an overthrow preventerfor said segments comprising a pivoted bail having a bar movableedgewise to engage simultaneously the serrated portions of all of thesegments, and means for moving the bail into operative position.

2. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of groups of keys,an actuating segment associated with each group, said segments havingdifferential extents of movement under control of the keys, a keycoupler common to all groups of keys and adapted to cooperate with thekeys for moving the segments, and means for preventing overthrow of thesegments, said means cornprising a bar actuated by the key coupler andmovable edgewise to engage simultaneously all of the segments, saidsegments being notched to receive the edge of said bar.

CHARLES W. GREEN.

